The fourth of July weekend was upon us. At the last minute, I took Monday, July 3rd off work. It seemed a little silly to have the weekend off work on a Monday and then have Tuesday off. Most others in the company felt the same way, as there were a ton of out of offices. I didn't really have a problem working on Monday because a). I work from home and b). no one else was really working. But, after a little more thought, decided it would be nice to completely check out of work mode for four full days!
Layla was scheduled to go with her dad for the holiday weekend. Eva had all the plans between work, Evan and friends. She'd be in and out all weekend at home at nights. Alex was back in Michigan through the holiday and Grace had decided to spend the weekend in Cape doing some final things before preparing to move home. So, Friday after work, I had the house to myself! At least for a little while. I knew this would be one of the last times the house wouldn't always be full. This seemed like the perfect (and only) opportunity for a few self-care days. And by self-care days, I mean do all of the home things I hadn't gotten to yet. It might sound strange, but this is self-care to me! I needed to spend some intentional time getting organized, prepared and start writing some things down to get the running list out of my head. Plus, I was going to sprinkle in some true self-care items like a long, hot shower with freshly cleaned towels, hair care and root touch up, walks and yummy food.
Friday night was dedicated to lounging. I baked a French Bread Pizza and added some fresh, green peppers as a topping, poured a glass of wine and cozied up in my recliner in the basement to binge watch TV on the projector. I just tried to let my mind unwind. It felt amazing to go to bed relatively early and get a good night's sleep!
Saturday morning, I forced myself to stay in bed until 8am. I had been awake off and on since 6, but my body still needed some rest. Once up and moving, I got right to my normal Saturday morning activities (that I hadn't gotten to in weeks), such as bills and budget, meal planning, calendar updates, grocery shopping (online is the best!), and starting laundry. When listing these out, it really doesn't seem like that much. But, all of this easily takes me 4 hours. And it's hard to dedicate that time block when we have a lot going on. These are also necessary items to run an efficient household. So, it is always soothing to me when I can dedicate the time and reset for the next several weeks.
Saturday afternoon, because I got my chores done, I rewarded myself with a trip to the pool. I made a little lunch, backed up a towel, a book and a cooler and drove over to my parent's house. They were in the country for the holiday weekend and I also had their house and pool to myself! I turned on some music and floated in a raft with my book while sipping a refreshing beverage. The weather was hot and the float helped me to unwind a little bit more.
Saturday evening, I took a long, hot shower and put on my most comfy pajamas. I made myself some lobster ravioli and a glass of wine. Then I turned on a movie until I started to fall asleep.
Sunday morning, I got up a little earlier so that I could get a few more things done around the house before going to Church. The laundry I had started on Saturday had the last load in the dryer. So, this morning, I sit and fold for about an hour. It has also became the routine way that I start my Sundays; make coffee, fold laundry, watch Top 20 Countdown on CMT, get ready for Church.
After Mass, I took Layla back over to her dad's and drove out to pick up my groceries. I order online but I order from a Walmart Market that is about a 30 minute drive. I do this because I like their selection and service. And the Sunday drive is therapeutic for me, too.
Post groceries, I cleaned out the fridge and cabinets, unloaded groceries and did a little meal prepping for the week ahead. We have a big trip coming up next weekend, so I also starting putting food and snacks together to take along with us. Late Sunday afternoon, I knew I needed to get some exercise in, other than the manual labor of the weekend. I turned on a podcast and did my normal 3 mile walk within the neighborhood. Then I came home and took a nap! Napping isn't an easy thing for me, most times I can't sleep longer than 20 minutes. But this time, it was a peaceful 45 minutes and just what I needed. I had put a whole chicken in the oven prior to laying down for the nap and I woke up to the delicious aroma of it roasting. Sunday night was low key. We had a family dinner and then relaxed for the night.
Overall, the weekend was a huge success in the ways of preparation, organization, and feeling ready to take on the week. And the best part was that I still have two more days to do the fun things!
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